Death Penalty on the Web
Directions: Answer as many questions as you can before you leave today. You must respond to a minimum of 5 questions.
STATS: NUMBERS, COSTS, and TIME Cont.
JURY DUTY
Question
Would you be chosen to serve on
a jury deciding a death penalty
case?
In general, how has the number
of executions compared to the
number of people sentenced to
death? (How many people are
told they are going to be killed,
how many actually are?)
Website(s) to help you find answer
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/courtroom/jury/questio
n.htm
(Page 17-18, Tables 14 and 15)
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
A. How much does it cost to
execute a person?
http://www.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/death-penalty-facts/deathpenalty-cost/page.do?id=1101084
Which is more cost-effective
(cheaper)?
As far as we know, how many
people on death row have been
exonerated (released) because
they were actually innocent?
In your own words, explain the likelihood of your serving on the jury of a capital
crime case.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
In 2008, how long did the
average inmate wait to die while
sitting on death row?
B. How does this compare to
the cost of keeping a person
in prison for life?
Answer
About how many years is that? (To find out, divide the number of months by 12.)
(Page 14, Table 11)
or
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/cos
ts-death-penalty#FromDPIC
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/doc
uments/FactSheet.pdf (page 2 chart)
or
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/inn
ocence-list-those-freed-death-row
A.
B.
C.
Death Penalty on the Web
What observation can you make
about death row inmates’ level of
education?
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
Which state executed the most
inmates in 2008?
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/stat
e-execution-rates
Decide if you want to use actual
number of people or “per capita”
(ratio of deaths to the overall
population of the state).
or
A. Which state has executed the
most inmates since 1930?
Which state has executed the
least?
STATES
A. How many juveniles have
been executed in the United
States?
(Page 8, Table 5 toward bottom)
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/states/compare/bystate.
htm
A.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/stat
e-execution-rates
C. Are states still allowed to
execute juveniles?
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/states/maps/deathexe.htm (look in the bottom left
hand corner and click on
“Juvenile.”)
How many states do NOT have
the death penalty?
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/doc
uments/FactSheet.pdf
B.
or
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/states/maps/deathexe.htm
A. Which part of the country
(region) has executed the
most people?
Which executes the least?
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/doc A.
uments/FactSheet.pdf
(Page 3, “Execution by Region”)
Or
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/nu
mber-executions-state-and-region1976
B.
Death Penalty on the Web
Identify the convict most
recently executed in the state of
Missouri.
http://www.columbiamissourian.co
m/stories/2009/05/20/missouriprepares-first-execution-2005/
Name:
Crime(s):
How was he executed?
MISSOURI
Why was he executed?
B. Where does Missouri rank
among the states in number
of executions?
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/nu
mber-executions-state-and-region1976
B. What crime is punishable by
death in the state of
Missouri?
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
Which methods of execution are
used in Missouri?
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/states/stats/missouri.ht
m
(Page 3, Table 1)
or
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
(Page 5, Table 2)
METHO
DS of
EXECU
TION
&
AGGRA
VATING
FACTO
RS
B. How many inmates are
currently on Missouri’s
Death Row?
How many women are currently
on Death Row in Missouri?
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/doc
uments/DRUSA_Winter_2010.pdf
(Page 56, “MISSOURI”)
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/stat
e_by_state
Death Penalty on the Web
The death penalty is a
punishment only for specific
crimes. Which types of crimes
can earn a death sentence?
(Lump the crimes into categories,
do not list every little
distinguishing detail.)
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/cri
mes-punishable-death-penalty#BJS
and/or
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/dea
th-penalty-offenses-other-murder
or
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf (pages 3-4)
Do you have to directly kill
someone to be sentenced to
death? Explain in your own
words.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/tho
se-executed-who-did-not-directlykill-victim
Look over the aggravating
factors for each state. Do you
see any repeated from state to
state? Or are there any factors
that seem to be more common
than others? If so, list three that
you see over and over.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/agg 1.
ravating-factors-capital-punishmentstate
2.
3.
List the different legal methods
of execution used in the United
States.
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/about/methods/content
s.htm
or
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html
/death/methods.htm
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
Death Penalty on the Web
What is the most common
method for execution used in the
United States in the past 31
years? (How have most inmates
been executed?)
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/
pdf/cp08st.pdf
(Page 19, Table 16)
or
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/doc
uments/FactSheet.pdf (page 4)
or
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html
/death/methods.htm
Choose one method of execution.
Identify that method, and then
tell three facts about how that
method is legally applied in
executions.
http://www.deathpenaltycurriculum.
org/student/c/about/methods/content
s.htm
Method of execution:
1.
or
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html
/death/methods.htm
2.
3.
Watch the video at the bottom of
the webpage. Tell me what you
think about this behind the
scenes look at lethal injection.
http://www.langleycreations.com/ph
oto/deathpenalty/video.html
According to the examples
annotated on this website,
describe in your own words what
the phrase “botched execution”
means.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/so
me-examples-post-furman-botchedexecutions
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/
notorious_murders/not_guilty/chair/
6.html
Death Penalty on the Web
Look at any or all of these
websites. Find three arguments
that people who support the
death penalty often use to push
their cause.
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/
1.
or
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/
or
http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/st
udent/c/about/arguments/contents.ht
m
2.
or
RECENT /UPCOMING EXECUTIONS
ANTI-DEATH PENALTY
PRO-DEATH PENALTY
http://www.jfa.net/
Look at any or all of these
websites. Find three arguments
that people who are against the
death penalty often use to push
their cause.
or
3.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/111931/
americans-hold-firm-support-deathpenalty.aspx
http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/f 1.
actsheets/DeathPenaltyFacts.pdf
or
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/
or
2.
http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/st
udent/c/about/arguments/contents.ht
m
or
http://www.aclu.org/capitalpunishment
or
http://www.ncadp.org/
or
http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wr
ongfulconvictions/
What do prisoner’s last words
reveal about them? Anything
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/
3.
Death Penalty on the Web
interesting?
photogallery/last_words.html
When and where is the next
execution scheduled to take
place?
http://www.internationaljusticeproje
ct.org/calendar.cfm
Check out recent news regarding
executions. Choose one
execution to focus on. Answer
the questions listed in the answer
column.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fron
tline/shows/execution/
or
Who was executed?
http://ccadp.org/missouri.htm
What was his/her crime(s)?
Was this a federal or state crime?
If a state crime, which state executed that person?
If posted, were there any aggravating factors in the case? If so, what were they?